Modest Street Style #1-Jerusalem

For those of you who haven’t been following me on Instagram or Modest Jerusalem’s Facebook page, I have been posting some Street Style pictures of different women in Jerusalem that I pass while walking, and asking them questions about Modest Fashion.

The motivation for this “project” is truly out of curiosity on why women choose to dress modestly, what their challenges are, what comes naturally to them, and what emotions (if any) does it bring out.

It is not easy to go up to people on the streets, especially in Jerusalem where the city has and overall modest, low-key vibe in comparison to high-fashion New York, however it is getting easier and I feel like the women I approached were really happy to talk to me and discuss this topic.

Every once and awhile I will condense the pictures into a blog post to capture these beautiful and radiant women in one space.

So here you go!

Zehorit is a sweet girl of a Jewish Yemenite background who I ran into near the Jerusalem shouk. She works in a daycare for 5-6 year olds before they go to first grade. Loving her skirt and casual look, I asked her what she feels about dressing modestly. She told me it is very hard for her to find clothes that fit in the right way in the regular shops in Jerusalem. The shirts are always too open or the skirts a bit too short. Nothing just right, so it makes dressing hard. While finishing our conversation, she was a bit emotional and told me it is very interesting to talk about these things. It was great to meet you Zehorit 😀

Chava is a beautiful French Olah in her 60’s that radiates beauty. When I stopped to talk to her on Bezalel Street in Jerusalem and asked her about her graceful style, she told me she still wears most of her clothes she brought from France because the quality of modest clothes in Jerusalem is still quite low. However, she is seeing improvement in the selection. She wants good quality cotton. We should all age with grace and a smile like Chava😀

“I think we all had enough of layering all the time. We want modest clothes that are just one piece!” Levona at the Jerusalem Central Bus Station wearing Hodaya luvich

Tehila was waiting for the Jerusalem Light Rail when I saw her and I loved her casual and confident look. She made aliyah as a child with her family from South Africa, and modest dress in her house was the norm. For her, covering her hair and dressing with 3-quarter sleeves and skirts comes natural and makes her feel her best.

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3 Replies to “Modest Street Style #1-Jerusalem”

It’s really such a range of what modesty can mean to different women. Of the four women you interviewed only Chava appears to cover her collarbone, which is one of the three basic areas women worry about covering. But I’m happy to see the diversity these women show! Good for them & good for you! Keren

Hi Keren, thank you so much for commenting. It is a sensitive issue, I know. This is one of the reasons I started this series/project. Like you said, there is a wide range of what modesty can mean to different women. I definitely don’t want to be the one to start defining modesty, I just want to show what looks modest in my eye, and not necessarily what is supposed to be “technically” modest. This can also include pants and short sleeves in the right context. I see too many collarbone covered shirts and skirts at the “recommended” length, but very, very tight or with colors that are too loud. That also might be modest to some, but for me it might not be. All these girls were wonderful to meet. More to come b’h. Thanks and Shabbat Shalom.